Commending Historic Huntley.

Commending Historic Huntley.
Agreed to by the Senate, January 15, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 19, 2026
WHEREAS, Historic Huntley, a well-preserved country villa in Fairfax County, has stood for approximately 200 years and serves as an outstanding example of the Commonwealth's rich historical resources; and
WHEREAS, Historic Huntley was built circa 1825 to serve as a summer retreat for Thomson Francis Mason, the mayor of the City of Alexandria from 1827 to 1830 and grandson of founding father George Mason; and
WHEREAS, Historic Huntley's early Federal-style construction is an excellent example of period architecture in 19th century America; and
WHEREAS, Historic Huntley was originally designed as a country retreat for the Mason family and subsequently served as a grain farm, an encampment for troops of the 3rd Michigan Infantry during the Civil War, and a dairy farm; and
WHEREAS, following an advocacy campaign by local preservationists, historians, and the home's owner at the time, Marguerite Amlong, Historic Huntley was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register on March 21, 1972, and the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1972; and
WHEREAS, Historic Huntley was acquired by the Fairfax County Park Authority in 1989 and was used in a limited capacity for semiannual events and school and scout trips for many years; and
WHEREAS, following a renovation of the manor house in 2012, Historic Huntley is now regularly open for scheduled programs and tours, offering visitors the opportunity to appreciate the estate's architecture and enjoy historical interpretation of the nation's early years; and
WHEREAS, the renovation of Historic Huntley was made possible in part by a $100,000 grant from the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures program, which helped to fund extensive structural restoration work at the site, as well as two bond programs managed by the Fairfax County Park Authority that raised several million dollars for the preservation and redevelopment of the site; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, the tenant house at Historic Huntley was renovated and adapted to serve as a visitor center, enhancing the site's ability to support meaningful historical and cultural programming for the benefit of visitors; and
WHEREAS, during the renovation of the tenant house at Historic Huntley, signs were discovered suggesting that the building may have originally served as quarters for enslaved people, and the site was listed in the Virginia Slave Housing project database in August 2022 following an investigation; and
WHEREAS, for more than 30 years, the nonprofit organization Friends of Historic Huntley has worked tirelessly to preserve and protect Historic Huntley for the enjoyment of future generations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Historic Huntley on the occasion of its 200th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Friends of Historic Huntley as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for Historic Huntley's contributions to a better understanding of the Commonwealth's history and heritage.